Moscow fine, flag-waving isn't, Olympians agree

By
WITH ANALYSIS FROM MONITOR CORRESPONDENTS AROUND THE WORLD,
EDITED BY DEBRA K. PIOT /
April 23, 1980

Lausanne, Switzerland

World sports leaders promised Tuesday to carry on with the Moscow Olympics but called for a reduction in nationalistic flag-waving at the games. Heads of 26 international sports federations pledged to the International Olympic Committee executive board that they would go ahead with the Moscow games despite a planned boycott by the United States and other countries because of the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan. Federation sources said it was agreed at a joint meeting with the committee that the games must go on, however few countries sent teams to the Soviet capital. It was also agreed that the committee would not grant permission to hold any "alternative games" for those countries observing the boycott, the sources said.